ABBEVILLE - Thanks to the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Vermilion Parish will have a newly remodeled boat launch.

The launch will be on the Vermilion River under the bridge on the Veteran’s Memorial by-pass.

“It’s an upgrade on the boat launcher, which is right by the bypass bridge, right next to the old pub,” said engineer Richard Primeaux.

The original idea for the project came from the Abbeville Harbor and Terminal department. With a grant from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to Vermilion Parish for $202,000, the idea started to become a reality.

“We received this grant in 2007, but the money is just coming around, which is why we have a three-year delay,” said Primeaux. “It’s a 75 percent grant from Wildlife and Fisheries and the other 25 percent needs to come from local matches.”

Primeaux said the majority of the area renovations will be done around the parking lot area. He said improvements to the drainage system will also be made. In addition, major improvements will be made to the docking areas.

“We’re going to do a parallel dock to have additional boats docking so more boats can wait while others pull out,” said Primeaux.

Primeaux said the Vermilion Parish Police Jury joined the remodeling efforts. They agreed to overlay and resurface both the entrance road and the area around to boat launch.

“It’ll improve parking in the area and add docking space for those boats coming in and out,” said Primeaux. “This project will also allow us to have better access to the boat launch from highway 14.”

Primeaux said the projected start for the boat launch project will be sometime in October.

“We’re going to have to get through some red tape,” he said, “ but we’re definitely going to start this year.”

He said, once started, the project should be completed by the end of 2010. (Abbeville Meridional)